The Academic Plenum has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the ruling majority in the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) of undermining the electoral rights of citizens living abroad.
In a statement, the organization said RIK, which it claims is dominated by representatives of the authorities, effectively suspended the constitutional right to vote by deciding not to open polling stations in a number of foreign countries where sufficient numbers of voters had registered.
The Academic Plenum also criticized a decision to align voting hours with Serbia’s time zone, arguing that this could force members of the Serbian diaspora to travel more than 1,000 kilometers to reach their designated polling stations and, in some cases, vote during the night because of the time difference.
“This represents a direct violation of electoral rights,” the organization said, referring to Article 52 of Serbia’s Constitution, which guarantees every adult citizen the right to vote under universal and equal suffrage.
The Academic Plenum further alleged that Vučić was using “loyalists” within RIK to restrict voting by the diaspora in countries where, it claimed, his electoral list could perform poorly.
The organization also said the decisions were evidence that internal polling commissioned by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) showed students ahead of the ruling party, although it provided no independent evidence to substantiate that claim.
The Academic Plenum called on Foreign Minister Marko Đurić and RIK members to immediately bring their actions back within the framework of the law.
It also said that, following the October 25 elections, those responsible for alleged violations of the law should be held accountable for any criminal offenses established by competent authorities.
The allegations come amid heightened political tensions surrounding Serbia’s upcoming elections and disputes over voting arrangements for citizens living abroad.
